Asbury Park Police Chief Mark Kinmon has announced his retirement effective at the end of the year. Kinmon will leave the position on Sept. 30 and use vacation and compensatory time for the rest of 2013.File Photo

ASBURY PARK – A newly announced retirement adds to the shuffle in the city’s leadership.

Police Chief Mark Kinmon announced he will retire in December after 24 years of service, but his last day on the job will be Sept. 30.

The retirement comes amid a rash of gun violence in the city, including 24 shootings this year, four of them fatal.

“I am probably one of the most fortunate people in the world to be a part of the city and to have lived through some not-so-great times and to see so many positive changes that have occurred in the past eight years,” Kinmon told reporters. “It’s pretty satisfying to have been a part of all that.”

Kinmon will use vacation and compensatory time to cover the rest of the year, while Capt. David Kelso will head the department.

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Campbell hinted that the city council is considering replacing the police chief position with a public safety director. If the position is changed, the council would hire and appoint a public safety director, if the police chief director is retained, the city manager would fill the opening.

Kinmon’s departure comes on the heels of major changes in the city – a new city council was seated at the beginning of July, and immediately began procedures to replace City Manager Terrence Reidy and hire a new chief financial officer.

Kinmon became police chief in 2007, overseeing the department during revitalization of Asbury Park’s east side as a tourist destination despite chronic staffing shortages on the department and rising crime on the city’s west side.